FEBRUARY 1996 BACK ISSUE

Part of Horse Previews Magazine website. Posted on 2/1/96; 10:00:00 AM.

Carolina Rinse: A Possible New Treatment For Reperfusion Injury

Englewood, CO--"There is one word that strikes terror in the hearts of horse owners everywhere: colic," says Ms. Helen Fusscas, owner and CEO of High Prairie Farms Equestrian Center. A new colic study at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine is testing Carolina Rinse, a solution used to rinse organs before transplantation, as a possible treatment option. This study is being sponsored by Morris Animal Foundation with funding from High Prairie Farms Equestrian Center, a prestigious horseshow facility located south of Denver in Parker, Colorado.

Death in horses with colic is highest in those with twisted intestines. After colic surgery, the return of blood and oxygen to a previously strangulated segment of intestine causes cell damage in the affected area. This tissue damage is termed reperfusion injury. Reperfusion injury contributes to many of the post-operative complications that can cause death. Reducing this damage rate could be a key factor in increasing the survival rates of affected horses.

Nathaniel White II, DVM, Assistant Director of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, is heading a team of investigators who are treating damaged intestine with Carolina Rinse to decrease the damage caused by reperfusion injury. The investigators propose to test Carolina Rinse solution to determine its usefulness in treating reperfusion injury. They also propose that Carolina Rinse solution will protect the affected intestine from reperfusion injury and reduce post-operative complications, thereby improving survival in horses with small intestine strangulation.

"High Prairie Farms Equestrian Center lauds the work of Morris Animal Foundation in the area of colic study, and is extremely proud to be a partner in the quest to find a solution to colic," states Ms. Fusscas. She continues, "A horse owner who finds his friend suffering from colic never knows if it's a passing problem, or whether after hours of keeping the horse on its feet walking, the animal will be on its way to the clinic, its fate unknown."

Ms. Fusscas named Morris Animal Foundation as the beneficiary of the 1995 Mile High Grandprix, a day of competitive jumping events held in July. Proceeds and contributions from the event exceeded $6000, which were designated to help fund this colic study. This generous gift qualifies High Prairie Farms Equestrian Center as a study cosponsor.

The Foundation is pleased to announce that it will be the beneficiary of two other High Prairie Farms competitions in the summer of 1996. The Mile High Grandprix and the Budweiser Grandprix will generate revenue for future equine health studies sponsored by the Foundation. This year, Morris Animal Foundation is funding more than $85,000 in horse studies.

Morris Animal Foundation is able to sponsor important studies like this one because of generous contributions from individuals, corporations and clubs as well as other sources. Morris Animal Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving animal health by funding humane health studies for companion animals and wildlife. Since its inception, the Foundation has sponsored over 650 studies with funds exceeding $13 million. All studies are evaluated by the Scientific Advisory Board, eight of the country's leading veterinary scientists who volunteer their time to advise in the selection and monitoring of animal health studies for Morris Animal Foundation.

Other Foundation-sponsored equine studies are addressing issues such as laminitis, combined immunodeficiency virus, Potomac horse fever and other horse health conditions. All annual, unrestricted donations to Morris Animal Foundation support programs, not administration; all restricted donations support only those programs to which they are designated. If you are interested in sponsoring or cosponsoring a specific study, please contact Sarah Harrison, Director of Development, at (303)790-2345 or toll-free (800)243-2345.